Touch Me Again!
by MaineHalfBlood
Summary: "Touch me again!" The people around them stared, and Kaneki ducked his head in embarrassment. He had no idea that one statement could cause so much commotion. COMPLETE


A/N: BEWARE: FLUFF AHEAD! The summary is misleading lmao.

Kaneki ran a hand through his white hair fondly as Hide talked. At that point, Kaneki was completely unaware of what his friend was saying, his attention too focused on the happiness the blond was giving off in waves. It was almost a relief to be near his best friend again and see him smile and laugh up close instead of watching in the shadows, wishing that he could be there.

The half-ghoul didn't realize that he had stopped moving altogether until Hide trailed off, concern momentarily clouding his features. Kaneki waved off his concern with an apologetic smile.

"Kaneki!" Hide whined, lips forming into a pout. Said man's lips quirked up into small smile. "You aren't even listening to me! And I haven't seen you for so long..." Hide frowned at him, brown eyes serious. Kaneki blinked, overcome by the sheer intensity they emitted. It had always been unsettling whenever he was starkly reminded of how observant and scarily smart his friend was. "Didn't you know? Rabbits die when they're lonely, Kaneki!"

"I know, Hide, I know." Kaneki sighed. How many times had Hide told him that, after all? But avoiding him had been for his own safety. Kaneki had almost eaten him... had almost forgotten what Hide meant to him because of something like hunger. He almost threw away everything because he couldn't control himself. It was _mortifying_. "I just... I missed you." He smiled. A warm, genuine smile that Hide almost never saw, and it was the same smile that left him breathless. Hide blinked, feeling his heart accelerate and he consciously cleared his throat.

"Really?" he cooed, a wide grin overtaking his features. "I missed you too, buddy!" said Hide jokingly because that was what he did. It was his job to lighten the situation whenever it seemed too serious.

Kaneki rolled his eyes and ignored the sudden rush of warmth on his cheeks. It was stupid. Getting so worked up over Hide's constant show of affection... Something that was normal with them now. Maybe it was because he had a Hide withdrawal, so whatever immunity he had developed to counter the blond man's charms was gone.

Hide knocked his cup off the table when he swung his arms. He bit his lip, brows knitted in worry as Touka ran over to them. But Kaneki was faster. The one-eyed ghoul had already picked up the shattered pieces of the cup and was feeling around the table for a tissue when his hand lightly brushed over Hide's lip and cheek instead. Kaneki's eyes widened, and he quickly withdrew his hand before looking up to check his best friend's reaction.

He wasn't the only one who was having problems. It looked like Hide had a Kaneki withdrawal too.

Hide stared at him, mouth slightly agape while a dash of crimson decorated his cheeks. His brown eyes were wide and slightly glazed over. Kaneki's mouth went dry, and he mumbled an apology so soft that Hide almost couldn't hear it. "Sorry..." Touka cleaned up the mess and reassured Hide that it was fine, because in her opinion, it looked like he was about to have a panic attack. When she left, the silence became unbearable.

It was funny how a simple touch could create such an awkward air between them when not even the knowledge that Kaneki had to eat humans to survive could. It was so damn ironic that Kaneki wanted to bash his skull in. Hide kept fidgeting in his seat, and he tried to laugh it off once, but the sound came out too nervous, too emotional for it to be believable. Kaneki knew that it was up to him to recuperate the situation and save them both from further embarrassment because Hide was too awkward to do it.

Kaneki couldn't help but smile even if the situation didn't call for it. Bashful Hide was just too cute to resist.

"Your face is so oily, Hide," Kaneki teased. While he was there, with his best friend, Kaneki could forget for a while that he was a killer, and that people wanted him dead. He could try to pretend that everything was still normal, and he was just spending another day with his best friend. "You should wash it more."

Hide sputtered so indignantly that Kaneki had to laugh. "Excuse you!" Hide told him, tone offended. "My skin's actually very healthy and smooth!"

"Sure it is," commented Kaneki dryly as Hide shook his head in disbelief. Just like that, the awkward and suffocating air was gone; replaced by something more light and cheery.

"Of course it is!" Hide huffed. "See for yourself and touch me again!" Silence followed his words, and the people around them stared at the duo, affronted beyond belief. Kaneki's eye twitched, and he ducked his head in embarrassment before he could see the mischievous glint in his friend's eyes. He glared at Hide through his bangs.

"Lower your voice, Hide," hissed Kaneki, but Hide only shook his head stubbornly. "Not until you touch me again!"

By then the people - especially the old ones - were whispering to each other; all the while sending scandalized looks every now and then. Kaneki knew that there was no stopping Hide when he was like that. But part of him wanted to push the blond... he wanted to see just how far Hide would go.

Kaneki sighed. "Okay, okay," he consented, and was about to touch Hide's arm when the latter's voice stopped him short.

"What are you doing?"

Kaneki met Hide's baffled eyes with his own. "You told me to...?" he asked, brows wound together in confusion. Had he misunderstood? But that was impossible because Hide had been clear with his request. He wanted to be touched again. Bad Kaneki! Bad! Kaneki shook his head to rid it of the dirty thoughts.

"Not there, man!" replied Hide, a touch of irritation coloring his tone. "Where you touched me first of course!"

Kaneki blinked. "Oh. You want me to- Oh." Was Hide saying what Kaneki thought he was saying? Did the brown-eyed male actually wanted Kaneki to touch his lips and cheek? The very action was like something straight out of those mangas that Hide liked to read. Perhaps he wanted to try it himself...?

Hide nodded and then went ramrod straight when Kaneki hesitantly reached out. With one shaking hand - why was he shaking? - Kaneki brushed over Hide's lips with his finger. Hide closed his eyes tightly and swallowed as Kaneki continued to ghost his finger over the bottom lip in almost a teasing manner. In Kaneki's defense, it wasn't like he could just stop. Not when Hide's lips felt so soft and inviting and what he'd give to just reach over and-

Kaneki blinked, and the finger touching Hide's lips stilled. With panic rising in his chest, Kaneki wondered if he had gone to far, but then Hide made an impatient noise at the back of his throat while his eyes remained closed; a plea to continue. Kaneki planned to brush over it once and then back away, but when he touched the soft skin, everything else simply seemed to melt away. All he could think about was the smoothness of Hide's cheek, and how nice the redness of it added color to Hide's face and was it him or did Hide smell twice as good as he did before?

Hide's eyes fluttered open to meet Kaneki's glassy ones, and the blond male smiled almost lazily at him. It was an action that Kaneki would have considered to be teasing if it wasn't for the redness that seemed to be permanently etched on his face.

"Told you it was smooth, didn't I?"


End file.
